Big Pharma and Ebola

Nov. 10, 2014

To the Editor:

“W.H.O. Assails Delay in Ebola Vaccine” (news article, Nov. 4) includes the suggestion by the head of the World Health Organization that the biopharmaceutical industry avoids researching medications and vaccines for diseases, like Ebola, that predominantly affect poorer countries.

The truth is that biopharmaceutical investment in research and development has fueled significant progress in the battle against many of the world’s most pressing public health threats. In fact, companies have been working on vaccines and treatments for Ebola for more than a decade, and at least two are ready for critical human trials.

According to a 2013 report from Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases, the biopharmaceutical industry is the second largest funder in the world for research into tropical diseases, behind only the National Institutes of Health. This standing puts the industry ahead of the Gates Foundation, the European Union and all other countries.

The Ebola situation is changing every day, and with this uncertainty, we need greater cooperation — from all parties — to combat and get ahead of this devastating disease.

JOHN J. CASTELLANI President and Chief Executive Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Washington, Nov. 5, 2014